Vehicle-washing machine



Sept. 4, 192s. 1,682,902

H. S. GIBSON VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14,1924 Sept. 4, 1928.

, 1,682,902 H. s. GIBSON VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1924 4SheetsSheet 2" 4Sheets-Sheet 3 H. S.,GlBsoN VEHICLE WASHING MACHINEFlled Aprll 14, 1924 Sept. 4, 1928.

Sept. 4, 1928.

H. S. GIBSON VEHICLE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet4 Q www@ @1M/ou mug/U Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,682,902 PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD s. GIBSON, or WASHINGTON, :DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AssIGNOR OF ONE-LFOURTI-I TO DORSEY F. ASBURY AND THREE-FOURTHS TO HELEN MILLS GIBSON,:BOTH OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. t i" VEHICLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed April 14, 1924. Serial 110.706,354.

My invention relates to Washing apparatus, and has particular referenceto improvements in machines for Washing vehicles, particularlyautomobiles, my aim being to provide a machine for this purpose by meansof which a maximum number of vehicles may be Washed in a minimum amountof time and at relatively low cost.

Vtith the foregoing and other purposes in view, my invention consists inthe novel features of construction, combination and arrangen'ient ofparts as will be hereinafter morcfully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Whereinllike characters of reference denotecorresponding` parts in the different views Figure 1 is a side elevationof a vehicle washing machine embodying the novel and essential featuresof my invent-ion;

Figure 2, a topplan view;

Figure 3, a transverse section on the lines 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4, a transverse section on the line 4- 4 of Figure l; f

Figure 5, an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the machine; v

Figure (3, a detail view of one of the stop devices associated with oneof the fixed spray devices of the machine;

- F igurc 7, a view similar to Figure 6 showing the stop device moved toreleased position; and

Figure 8, a detail view of one of the stop devices associated with oneof the movable spray devices.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed my improvedmachine, in its embodiment herein illustrated, consists of a frame andthat this frame is divided into or includes three separate operatingstations disposed in advance of one another,

so that a vehicle entering the lnachine at` one end of the frame passesthrough each of said operating stations before it emerges from themachine at the other end of the frame. The frame is designated generallyat 10 and the three operating stations at 1-, and c, respectively. thetirst of these latter vbeing a soaking and washing station, the -econd,a. washing and rinsingstation, and the third, a drying station. A.vehicle enteringr the machine is halted at station a where it issubjected to sprays of preferably aerated water over a suitable periodof time to soften and partially remove accumulations therefrom. It thenis moved to station b where it again is subjected to sprays of,

preferably aerated Water over a suit-able period of time to further soakand rinse the same as operators at this station manually remove anytenacious accumulations not removed at station ai. After beingthoroughlv cleansed and rinsed at station b, it is moved to station cwhere it is subjected to sprays of warn'i air to dry the same before itemerges from the machine. By this method of first soaking a vehicle atone station and then moving it to a rinsing station and subsequently toa drying station, it is obvious that a maximum number of vehicles may becleansed in a minimum amount of time, for as soon as one vehicle hasbeen moved from station a to station I), another vehicle may be movedinto station a to be soaked in readiness to be moved to station bimmediately the vehicle in station is moved to station c.

Frame 1() is composed ofv a plurality of uprights 11 arranged in pairsspaced longitudinally of the machine and connected by stringers 12 theuprights of each pair bemg spaced transversely of the machine andconnected at their upper ends by preferably arched members 13.

Midway between the upright-s 1l and extending longitudinally through theframe 1() is a trestle 14C composed in this instance of uprights 15 andtransverse connecting members 16, and supported by this trestle are twotransversely spaced tracks 17, 17 each consisting of upper and lowerpairs of rails also extending longitudinallythrough the machine. i

Supported on the tracks 17, 17 is an endless conveyor composed in thisinstance of two link belt-s 1S. 18 each of which is provided withnumerous supporting wheels or rollers engaging the tracks 17, 17 wherebythe belts are Ji'recly movable over said tracks. At each end of themachine is a sprocket wheel or wheels 19 over which the belts 18, 18extend and arranged to drive the sprocket wheel or wheels at one end ofvthe frame, whereby the belts 1 8, 18 are caused to be moved along thetracks 17 17, is a motor or other suitable power device 20.

The conveyor belts 18, 18 are adapted to iso A' by a ve the` machine,.or its wheels rotated when 1t be engagled by the wheels of a vehicle,whereicle` may be moved bodily through is held against such bodilymovement, and in order to prevent. lateral movement of a vehicle off ofsaid belts, guard plates 21, 21

are provided, the same extending above the forms 23, 23 and directlybelow these platforms, are other operator supporting platforms 24, 24,this arrangement permitting workmen to easily reach all parts of avehicle as is manifest.

A water supply pipe extends longitudinally of the machine at the tops ofoperating stations a and b and is provided at suitably spaced intervalstherealong with spra heads instance of devices 27, 28 with water outlet'25, while connected with said supp y pipe are branch pipes 26 leading tofront and rear wheel spray devices 27 and 28, respectively, provided ateach side of both of said operating stations.

At each side of operating station c are front and rear wheel spraydevices 29 and 30, respectively, designed to supply warm air from anydesired source to a, vehicle to dry the same after it `has been washedand rinsed at stations a and b'. In this instance the. spray devices aresupplied with warm air through pipes 31 connected with a shell 32surrounding a heater 33, a blower 34 being provided to force air throughsaid. shell to said spray devices.

i Each of the aforesaid front and rear wheel spray devices 27, 28 and29, 30 consists of a vertically disposedpip'e, provided, in theapertures 35, as shown in Figure 4, and. in the instance of pipes 29, 30with air spray nozzles 36, the pipes at each operating station beingrelatively movable whereby they may be adjusted longitudinally of themachine towards and away from each other to be disposed in substantiallythe same desired predetermined relation to vehicles of different length.f

1n the present Iembodiment of my invention the rear wheel spray devicesor pipes supply pipe, and by means of a wei ht 43 or equivalent means,is maintaine normally at its limit of swinging movement towards itsassociated rear wheel spray' device 28l or 30, preferably against a stop44, as shown at each of the operating stations a, b and c in Figure 1 ofthe drawings.

Alixed to each front wheel spray device or pipe 27 -29, at or near thelower end of the latter, is a bracket 45, and pivoted to this bracketfor swinging movement in a horizontal plane is an arm 46 carrying at itsfree end a roller 47 that is held normally across the path of movementof a wheel of a vehicle passing through the machine by yieldable meanssuch as a coil spring 48 connecting arm 46 with bracket 45, said springbeing of such strength that a greater force is required to swing the arm46 to a position with the roller 47 disposed out of the path of movement`of a wheel of a vehicle passing through the machine, as shown in dottedlines in Figure 8, than the force necessary to swing the spray pipe awayfrom limit stop 44 against anot er limit stop 49.

The operation is apparent and as follows: With the conve or belts inoperation and moving in the irection of the arrow d in Figure 1 of thedrawings, operators at opposite sides of station a lift the weightedarms 39 to swing rollers 38 downward as shown in Figure l, out of thepath of movenient of the front wheels of a vehicle entering the machineand hold said arms lifted until the front wheels of the vehicle pass bysame, when the arms are released and weights 41 s wing the rollers 38 tothe position shown in Figure 6 to engage with the rear wheels of thevehicle and halt the same. If the vehicle is longer than the normaldistance between the front and rear wheel spray devices, its frontwheels will en ge with the rollers 47 and swing the front wglileel spraydevices or pipes away from the rear wheel spray devices or pipes untilthe vehicle is halted by the rear wheels thereof engaving with rollers38, when both the front an rear spray devices will be disposed insubstantially the same predetermined relation to the front and rearwheels of the vehicle, the adjustment of the spray devices topredetermined positions with respect to vehicles of different lengththus being automatic as is manifest. I

v'llhe conveyor belts continue to move after the vehicle has been haltedand since the vehicle cannot move forward through the machine and wheelsare rotated baclgwards by said conveyor which obviously facilitates thecleaning action of water issuing from the apertures 35.

When the vehicle has remained at station a over a desired period ottime, the arms 39 are again lifted and it is moved bodily by theconveyer belts towards station b, during which movement the front wheelsthereot acting against rollers 47 swing the iront spray devices untilthey reach the limit stops 49, when said rollers are moved outwardagainst the torce ot the springs t8 by the iront vehicle wheels and saidwheelsthus pass by the sameu The weights i3 then swing the iront spraydevices to the rear where they are engaged by the rear wheels ot thevehicle as the latter is carried along the conveyor belts and theoperation pist recounted is repeated. The complete operation set tortliin the foregoing then occurs at stations b and c. U

Preferably each pipe constituting' the iront and rear wheel spraydevices at stations a and b is provided with branch tender spray pipes50, and, as shown in lllig. l, the machine may be `placed 'in a pit todispose the conveyor belts at the level oi the surtace over whichvehicles travel to enter the machine, or, as shown inl Figure 5,inclined approaches 5l may be provided at the ends oit the machine it itis desired to position the conveyor belts at an elevation.,

l claim l. ln a vehicle washing machine, a movable spray device, stopmeansto halt a vehicle passing through the machine, and means wherebysaid spray device is moved by a vehicle passing through the machine to apredetermined position with respect to a portion ot the vehicle.

Q. lin a vehicle washing machine, iront and rear ispray devices, one ofwhich is movable towards and away trom the other, and a member carriedby said movable spray device engageable by a portion eta vehicle passingthrough the machine whereby s uch spray device is moved with the vehiclein a predetermined relation with respect thereto, said member beingyieldable whereby the vehicle may pass bythe same when the movable spraydevice isl held against movement.

3. lin a vehicle washing machine, a spray device, and a stop engageablewith a portion .y

ot a vehicle passing through the machine to halt the vehicle inpredetermined relation to said spray device, said stop being movable toa released position and being positioned to be held released by avehicle passing through the machine.

1l. ln a vehicle washing machine, a. movable spray device, and a membercarried by said .movable spray device enga eable by a vehicle passingthrough the mac ine whereby said spray device is moved with saidvehicle, said member being yieldable and posi-- tioned to be forced outof the path of the vehicle by the vehicle during its passage fthroughthe machine.

5. In a vehicle washing machine, a spray device, and a stop device tohalt a vehicle passing through themachine in predeterrespect to theother spray device, and means operable by a vehicle passing through themachine to move said movable spray device with the vehicle in apredetermined relation thereto.

7. ln a vehicle washing machine, a movable spray device, a memberthereon engageable by a vehicle passing through the machine whereby thespray device is moved in a predetermined relation with the vehicle, anda spring holding said member normally in a osition to be engaged by thevehicle where y the member may yield to permit the vehicle to pass bythe same when the spray device is held against movement.

8. ln a vehicle washing machine, a conveyor upon which the wheels ot avehicle are adapted to rest, means tor driving said conveyor whereby theyvehicle is carried through the machine and whereby the wheels thereofare caused'to rotate when the vehicle proper is held against movement, aspray device, and a stop in the form of a roller engageable with a wheelot a vehicle resting on said conveyor whereby the vehicle is halted inpredetermined relation to said spray device,

9. ln a vehicle washing machine, a conveyor upon which the wheels of avehicle are adapted to rest, means for driving said conveyor whereby thevehicle is carried through the machine and whereby the wheels thereofare caused to rotate iwhen the vehicle proper is held against movement,a movable spray device, and a member carried by said spray deviceengageable by a `vehicle passing through the machine whereby the spraydevice is moved to a predetermined position with respect to the vehicle,said member consisting ot a roller engageable with a wheel of thevehicle.

10. In a vehicle washing' machine, a movable spray device, a memberthereon engageable by a vehicle passing through the machine whereby thespray device is moved in a predetermined relation with the vehicle,v

yieldable means holding said member normally in a position to be engagedby a vehicle, a stop against which the spray device is adapted to abutwhen moved by a vehicle passing through the machine, whereby suchvehicle may overcome said 'ieldable holding means and pass by saimember, and means holding said spray device normally spaced from saidstop.

l1. In a vehicle washing machine, in combination, a vehicle trackway inthe form of an endless carrier on which a Vehicle is adapted to movethrough the machine, a

cleaning device adjacent to said carrier, and a releasable positive stopdevice located in the path of a portion of a vehicle moving through themachine on said carrier for stopping the vehicle in a redeterminedposition with respect to said c eaning device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto arix my Signature.

HOWARD S. GIBSON.

